The conference addressed environmental, agricultural and trade issues of major concern to the Middle East, most notably the shared water and food resources of the Palestinians and Israelis. Participants included scholars and officials from Cyprus, Egypt, Jordon, Israel and the Palestinian National authority and led to a set of followup recommendations for the water and food security problems of regional urgency in the Middle East. The conference was co-sponsored by the Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California; the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley; Ben-Gurion University; the US Institute of Peace; and the Hewlett Foundation. 

Conference Schedule

Monday, April 20: 

7:00pm: RECEPTION AT CYPRUS HILTON HOTEL
Arch. Makarios III Avenue, P.O. Box 2023, Nicosia, Cyprus
tel: 357-2-377-777, fax: 357-2-377-788

8:00pm: OPENING DINNER
Welcome Remarks: Symeon Matsis
Director-General, Ministry of Agriculture, Resources, and Environment, Cyprus

Tuesday, April 21:

8:15­8:30am: OPENING REMARKS
David Zilberman
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics & Center for Sustainable Resource Development, University of California, Berkeley

8:30­10:00am:SESSION I: HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Chair: Michael Hanemann
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley

Arie Arnon
Economics Department, Ben-Gurion University
“Past, Present, and Future of the Regional Trade Regime”

Jad Isaac
Applied Research Institute and Bethlehem University Science Faculty
“Resource Scarcity and Food Security in Palestine”

Arie Issar
J. Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University
“The Impact of Climate Changes on the Water Resources of the Middle East: Past and Future”

10:00­10:30am: BREAK

10:30­12:00pm: SESSION II: WATER QUANTITY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: TRANSFERS, TRADING AND MARKETS
Chair: Yacov Tsur
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University and Department of Applied Economics, The University of Minnesota

Gamal Siam
Department of Agricultural Economics, Center for Agricultural Economic Studies, Cairo University
“Water Management Policy and Food Security in Egypt”

Sinaia Netanyahu
Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland
“Bargaining Over Shared Aquifers: The Case of Israel and the Palestinians”

Phoebe Koundouri
Department of Economics, University of Cyprus
“Water Resource Management in Cyprus and Prospects for Cyprus-European Membership”

12:00­1:30pm: LUNCH

1:30­3:00pm: SESSION III: INFRASTRUCTURE, SANITARY CONDITIONS, AND WATER AVAILABILITY
Chair: Yacov Tsur
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University and Department of Applied Economics, The University of Minnesota

Yousef Salah Abu-Maylah
Geography Department, Dean of Arts Faculty, Al-Azhar University of Gaza Moustafa Yousef El Baba, Water Research Center, Al-Azhar University of Gaza 
“Overview of the Water Situation in Gaza”

Eithan Hochman
Agricultural Economics Department, Hebrew University Agricultural Faculty
“Conceptual and Technical Framework of the Water Situation in Gaza”

Eyal Brill
Agricultural Economics Department, Hebrew University Agricultural Faculty
“Application, Benefits, and Costs of Cooperation Between Israel and Gaza”

3:00­3:30pm: BREAK

3:30­5:00pm: SESSION IV: WATER QUALITY: WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND TRADING FOR AN IMPROVED REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Chair: Yacov Tsur
Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University and Department of Applied Economics, The University of Minnesota

Nader Saleem Al-Khateeb
Water and Environmental Development Organization, Bethlehem “Wastewater Reuse in the Palestinian Authority”

Nir Becker
Natural Resources and Environmental Research Center, University of Haifa
“Benefits from Cooperating over Water Quality Issues in the West Bank”

8:00pm: DINNER AT CYPRUS HILTON HOTEL
Keynote Speaker: Dureid Mahasneh
Secretary General, Jordan Valley Authority

Wednesday, April 22:

8:30am—10:00am: SESSION V: DOMESTIC POLITICAL CONSTRAINTS AFFECTING FOOD PRODUCTION, WATER (RE)ALLOCATION, AND INVESTMENT IN AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY IN THE REGION
Chair: Richard Just
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland

Eran Feitelson
Geography Department, Hebrew University
“The Implications of the Changing Water and Farmland Agendas Within Israel for Regional Water Reallocations”

Marwan Haddad
Faculty of Engineering, An Najah National University
“Policy Recommendations for Regional Cooperation to Obtain Water and Food Security in the Middle East” 

Hillel Shuval
Environmental Health Laboratory, Hebrew University
“A Reevaluation of Some Misconceptions on Food Security and Water Security for Arid Countries in the Middle East”

10:00am—10:30am: BREAK

10:30am—12:00pm: SESSION VI: LESSONS FROM OTHER REGIONS -OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO TRADE , WATER CONSERVATION, AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Chair: Richard Just
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland

Aaron Wolf
Geography Department, University of Alabama
“Indigenous Approaches to Water Conflict Resolution and Implications for International Waters”

Ariel Dinar
Rural Development Department, World Bank
“Regional Cooperation in Managing Scarce Resources: Theory and Evidence from Experience in Asia, Africa, and South America”

Daniel Cohen
University of California, Berkeley
“Lessons from Recent Innovations and Public Investments in the United States”

Gidon Bromberg
EcoPeace
“The Mediterranean Free Trade Zone: First Lessons from NAFTA”

12:00pm—1:30pm: LUNCH

1:30pm—3:00pm:SESSION VII: TRADE, DEVELOPMENT, AND ENVIRONMENT
Chair: David Zilberman
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics & Center for Sustainable Resource Development, University of California, Berkeley

Mahmoud El-Jafari
Economics Department, Al-Quds University
“Agricultural Cooperation and Integration Between Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians”

Amir Heiman
Agricultural Economics Department, Hebrew University Agricultural Faculty
“Should Israeli and Arab Companies Cooperate in Marketing Their Agricultural Products?”

Michael Hanemann
Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley “Dispute Resolution in Natural Resources and Environmental Problems: What We Have Learned”

3:00­3:30pm: BREAK

3:30­5:00pm: SESSION VIII: PUBLIC HEALTH AND PEST CONTROL
Chair: David Zilberman
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics & Center for Sustainable Resource Development, University of California, Berkeley

Jamal Safi
Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza
“Pesticide Use and its Management in Gaza”

Yoel Margalit
Ben-Gurion University
Jamal Safi
Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza
“Mosquito Populations in Gaza and their Biocontrol by BTI”

Uri Regev
Ben-Gurion University
Yousef Safi
Environmental Protection and Research Institute, Gaza
“Insect Vector Control in Gaza and Israel, Economic Analysis and Application”

Thursday, April 23:

8:30­10:00am: SESSION IX: POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND THE PEACE PROCESS - FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Chair: David Zilberman
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics & Center for Sustainable Resource Development, University of California, Berkeley

Gershon Baskin
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information 

Nicos Georgiades
Environmental Service, Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Nicosia, Cyprus

Shaul Arlosoroff
Hebrew University

10:00­10:30am: BREAK

10:30­12:00pm: SESSION IX: POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND THE PEACE PROCESS - FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS (CONTINUED)
Chair: Richard Carson
Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, University of California, Berkeley

Koussai Quteishat
General, Ministry of Water and Irrigation

Jordan Hagar Islambouly
Consul General of Egypt